Ham Operator Forums

Happy 51st Birthday today, Telstar!



From Wikipedia: "Telstar 1 was launched on top of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962. It successfully relayed through space the first television pictures, telephone calls, fax images and provided the first live transatlantic television feed."

TELSTAR 1, one of the first telecommunications satellites.

From Wikipedia: "Belonging to AT&T, the original Telstar was part of a multi-national agreement between AT&T, Bell Telephone Laboratories, NASA, the British General Post Office, and the French National PTT (Post, Telegraph & Telecom Office) to develop experimental satellite communications over the Atlantic Ocean. "

TELSTAR 18, one of the newest 21st Century telecommunications satellites.

From Wikipedia: "Telstar 18 was launched in June 2004 by Sea Launch. The upper stage of the rocket underperformed, but the satellite used its significant stationkeeping fuel margin to achieve its operational geostationary orbit. It has enough on-board fuel remaining to allow it to exceed its specified 13-year design life."

TELSTAR, the ONLY instrumental single to EVER chart at #1 on BOTH the U.S. and the U.K. weekly charts.

From Wikipedia: " "Telstar" is a 1962 instrumental record performed by The Tornados. It was the first single by a British band to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and was also a number one hit in the UK; this makes it the only instrumental single to hit #1 on both the US and UK weekly charts. The record was named after the AT&T communications satellite Telstar, which went into orbit in July 1962. The instrumental was released five weeks later on 17 August 1962. "

In 2008, The Ventures reunited and performed their 1963 cover of "Telstar". This live performance featured only electric guitars and drums, whereas the original 1962 recording by The Tornados also included an instrument called "clavioline", an electronic keyboard instrument which was a forerunner to the analog synthesizer.

The Tornados (1962 original) - Telstar
http://youtu.be/YuA-fqKCiAE

THE Ventures (1963 cover) - Telstar
http://youtu.be/D6DmtPQv7V8

Sintetizador (A cover of a sixties instrumental by the Tornados with video taken from NASA propaganda films of the same era) - Telstar
http://youtu.be/DNblDy86phU

THE Ventures (2008 cover) - Telstar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKyCsmlYwB4

I've already had a very helpful conversation on this board with Jonathan/K5TLF and Matt/KF5LCH regarding a new equipment purchase.  I guess now is as good a time as any to formally introduce myself! 

My name is John & I reside in Concord, Massachusetts.  I've been licensed continuously since my Novice days in 1974.  In 1977 I took advantage of an FCC program allowing Amateur Extra Class licensees to obtain the 1x2 call sign of their choice from the pool of available call signs - that's how I obtained my present call sign K1JS.

I guess you could say I'm a relic from the days of vacuum tubes, Morse Code, and taking license & code exams in an FCC Field Office under the watchful eye of an FCC exam proctor.  I've kept my license current over the decades, mostly because I love the hobby, but partly because I don't want to have to go through the examination process again! 

My ham radio interests today have pretty much narrowed themselves down to occasional casual ragchewing, mostly on 2m/70cm, rarely on HF.  All of my current gear is QRP due to my interest in disaster preparedness and emergency communications (it's easy to power a QRP rig), along with knowing that by running QRP I'm far less likely to give my neighbors' consumer electronics something to complain about!    

Frankly, I'm tired of the proclivity of hams - myself included - to blather on and on about their gear ... so I'll spare you the details.  In a nutshell, here's part of my current list:

Ten-Tec Argonaut II Model 535
Kenwood TH22AT
Yaesu VX-3R
Yaesu FT-2400H (which formerly belonged to my SK Dad, N1SAF)
Yaesu FT-817ND (currently ordered from HRO, not yet received)

See you around the board - and the bands! 

73,
John K1JS

Jonathan,

Thanks for the antenna recommendation - I looked it up & it's definitely what I'm looking for.

My spending limit is about five hundred bucks.  The rig doesn't need to be an HT, it can be a larger unit - but it needs to be easily movable and capable of running off the existing 12 V cabin outlet.  As for RF output power, anything from 5 to 25 watts.

Features can be limited and simple.  Of course PL/CTCSS - I would expect that to be a standard option since it's an absolute must. Having as many controls on the hand mike as possible would be good as well.  I'm really not too fussy.  The simpler the better - basic is best.

Thanks

John K1JS